For many years, light based microscopes and their associated peripherals have been considered a mature technology. Consequently, there has been great market pressure to reduce costs and yet still provide some level of innovation. Microscope stands are one example in which innovation and manufacturing costs have been driven by such market pressures.
Generally, microscope stands today are architected to accommodate two basic microscope stand systems; namely stereo microscope stands and boom stands. Stereo microscope stands are considered to be closed architecture because they are more or less specifically tailored for a particular type of microscope. Boom stands, on the other hand, are adapted for universal microscope use, hence are considered open architecture. Both stereo microscope stands and boom stands rely on friction, typically by way of a support collar, to help assist in supporting a microscope as it is moved vertically along a microscope stand's shaft. In the case of a boom stand system, an operator may be required to lift a microscope along the microscope stand's shaft. In the case of a stereo microscope system, a rack and pinion configuration may be used for moving a stereo microscope along a stereo microscope stand's shaft. In either case, both systems are somewhat exposed to undesirable effects of back-drive, whereby the collar slides down the microscope stand shaft causing the associated microscope to go out of focus. Hence, springs, counter weights, friction based knobs, or a combination thereof are often employed at the collar. Consequently, microscope use can often be cumbersome due to so many functional devices at the collar.
In an effort to improve back-drive problems and ease of and ergonomics use, both methods and apparatuses are disclosed herein. It is to innovations related to this subject matter that the claimed invention is generally directed.